Monthly Archives: June 2017

I know genealogists who swear by Google. They seemingly use it to tell them when to breathe. It’s important to remember that Google (just like any website, library, courthouse, etc.) does not have everything. The successful researcher will utilize a variety of sites and sources for information and will carefully evaluate those sites and sources.

Google Maps gets close to the house where I grew up, but apparently once the road turns to gravel the Google car turns around. It did the exact same thing when approaching the house from the north.

Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.

This is not the courthouse that’s discussed in the tip. This illustration is used because I like it 😉

I made something of a last minute trip to a courthouse about 100 miles from where I live so that I could obtain a copy of a marriage record. The website for the office indicated they had the records for the time I needed and what the fees were.

When I arrived, they told me that all requests for genealogical records were handled by volunteers who answered them by mail. I could not get the record that day. I filled out the form. I paid the fee and I left.

Always call and find out research policies before you make a trip. That’s true whether the trip if 10 miles, 100 miles, or 1,000. It’s especially true if it is 1,000.

Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.

When viewing your DNA “matches” on sites such as on AncestryDNA, take some care before you assume what the connection is or that there is only one connection. It is possible that:

one person has a “error” in their tree;

there was an adoption early in the lineage that was completely undocumented;

It’s usually easier to figure out the relationship when the matches are closer.

the father (or mother) shown in an online tree really is not the father (or mother);

one of the “parents” was married more than once and the “parent” is actually the step-parent;

you may be related to the person in more than one distant way.

Don’t jump to a conclusion about “where in the tree” the match has to be. A recent match for me indicated a distant relationship to an individual. It turned out that we were distantly related on two families–one in Indiana in the 1820s and another in Ontario about the same time period. There was absolutely no connection between the Indiana and Ontario families at the time.

It just happened that a hundred years later an Indiana descendant and an Ontario descendant married in Illinois in the 1930s and that another Indiana descendant and an Ontario descendant married in Michigan around the same time.

Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.

An immigrant foreigner who is given certain rights of citizenship. In former British colonies, these rights were usually centered on property ownership. Inheriting property would require special permission of the Crown and denizens usually could not hold office or be in the military.

When one encounters the phrase “late of Tuckertown” in a legal document, it typically means that the person used to live in Tuckertown. The same thing is true of “formerly of Tuckertown.” Sometimes the phrase “late widow of John Jones” may be used to refer to a woman. Usually in those cases it means that the female to whom it is referring has married again after the death of John Jones.

Putting a clause in your will that “my genealogical papers are to go to the BlahBlah Library” without some advance planning could have unintended consequences.

Some thoughts on preserving your “files” and papers by donating to a library or archives:

libraries may not want or be able to maintain random copies of public records that are available elsewhere

libraries may not want or be able to maintain random copies made from published books

unorganized materials are difficult for libraries to inventory and manage and they are difficult for patrons to use

photographs, personal certificates, and other “unique” items are more likely to be preserved and collected, but it can be difficult for some facilities to afford to maintain these collections–consider leaving some financial legacy (if possible) to assist in long-term maintenance

ask first to determine if the facility can or is willing to take your collection

again–ask first

organize your material while you are still able to. Make continued organization of your materials a regular part of your research process. You never know when that day may come when your donation clause will go into effect.

one last time–discuss this with the recipient first.

We will continue to have occasional posts on this topic. We don’t have all the answers, but we want readers to become educated about these concerns so they can make decisions and take action while they are still able to.

When your death certificate is being filed at the local records office—it’s too late.

Genealogy Tip of the Day is proudly sponsored by GenealogyBank. Try their “GenealogyBank Search” and see what discoveries you make.